R.DeLuna's "Freelance"

Freelance #58: Presidential Debate

2009-03-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

Obviously this ran before the election. :)
Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 25, 2008.

Freelance #57: Married Life

2009-03-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 18, 2008.

Freelance #56: New TV Season

2009-02-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 11, 2008.

Freelance #55: N.K.O.T.B.

2009-01-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 4, 2008.

#54: Just Married

2009-01-07T21:53:00.001-08:00

Aaaand this concludes the year-long Wedding storyline. Congrats Ryan and Flower! :)

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, August 28, 2008.

Freelance #53: Man and Wife

2009-01-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

Yikes, sorry I haven't posted in so long! Here's another two comics to make up for it.

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, August 21, 2008.

Freelance #52: Vows

2008-12-02T22:41:00.001-08:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, August 14, 2008.

Freelance #51: Groom's Men

2008-11-25T21:18:00.001-08:00

To make up for the lack of posts, here's an extra one today. Happy Thanksgiving!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, August 7, 2008.

Freelance #50: First Dance

2008-11-25T21:15:00.001-08:00

Oh man, I've gotten so bad about remembering to post new comics every week. Accept my apologies, work's been crazy busy lately...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, July 31, 2008.

Freelance #49: Groom's Cake

2008-10-29T07:33:00.001-07:00

My real-life Groom's Cake was of "The Incredibles" logo. Equally as geeky, but not nearly as complex.

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, July 24, 2008.

Freelance #48: The Dark Knight

2008-10-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a little sad I never got to see Dark Knight in IMAX. Oh well, at least it comes out on DVD soon...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, July 17, 2008.

Freelance #47: Gadgets

2008-09-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, July 10, 2008.

Freelance #46: Fourth of July

2008-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, July 3, 2008.

Freelance #45: Bachelorette Party

2008-09-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, June 26, 2008.

Freelance #44: Bachelor Party

2008-09-02T22:51:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, June 19, 2008.

Freelance #43: Playoffs

2008-08-26T22:48:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, June 12, 2008.

Freelance #42: Off the Grid

2008-08-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, June 5, 2008.

Freelance #41: Video Games

2008-08-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, May 29, 2008.

Freelance #40: Hypercolor

2008-07-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Man, I only wish this comic were true...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, May 22, 2008.

Freelance #39: Twitter

2008-07-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

There's a chance I may have mixed up Freelance #38 and #39. Now the continuity is ruined!!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, May 15, 2008.

Freelance #38: Guest List

2008-07-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, May 8, 2008.

Freelance #37: Stimulus

2008-07-08T23:01:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, May 1, 2008.

Freelance #36: Videographer

2008-06-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ironically, we opted not to get a wedding videographer. This comic is all lies! LIES!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, April 24, 2008.

Freelance #35: Rice Toss

2008-06-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, April 17, 2008.

Freelance #34: Taxes

2008-06-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

This tidbit of tax knowledge is actually true. My comic's entertaining and educational. It's edutaining! And if you're wondering why the characters looks a little off, I toyed with digitally inking the comic this week. It's an experiment that didn't last past this one strip...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, April 10, 2008.

Freelance #33: Save The Date

2008-06-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

A little immature, I know. But it made me laugh... :)

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, April 3, 2008.

Freelance #32: Allergies

2008-05-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ironically, allergy season caught up to me late this year with the arrival of summer instead of spring. So much for my theory that I'd built up super-human immunity...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, March 27, 2008.

Freelance #31: DJ

2008-05-13T22:10:00.001-07:00

So I don't really mean to pick on wedding DJ's too much. But in my defense, ours DID lose the list of our entire wedding party just minutes before he had to announce them. Oh, and he played "Honky Tonk Bodonkadonk", which was on our Do Not Play List, so it's tough for me to muster up some sympathy...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, March 20, 2008.

Freelance #30: Spring Break

2008-05-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

Ironically, I just saw Prince in concert at the Coachella music festival. (cue the Twilight Zone theme music...)

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, March 13, 2008.

Freelance #29: Engagement Photos

2008-04-29T23:08:00.001-07:00

This comic certainly isn't based on personal experience *cough*lies all lies*cough*

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, March 6, 2008.

Freelance #28: How Far

2008-04-22T22:52:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, February 28, 2008.

Freelance #27: Fiancee

2008-04-15T22:22:00.001-07:00

Definitely took a little adjusting to make the switch going from "girlfriend" to "fiancee". And then just as you get used to it, you've gotta switch again to "wife"!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, February 21, 2008.

Freelance #26: Proposal

2008-04-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

Man, really sorry for skipping posts. A combination of being crazy busy at work and Google not working at home (don't ask) prevented me from getting this up sooner. Anyway, this one ran on Valentine's Day... awwwwww. I debated having Ryan and Flower get married, but since I myself am married, I figured I'd eventually run out of material if the comic didn't start mirroring my life a little more. So here we go...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, February 14, 2008.

Freelance #25: Ring

2008-03-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, February 7, 2008.

Freelance #24: Announcement

2008-03-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

Again, pretend like its a couple weeks before Valentine's Day...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, January 31, 2008.

Freelance #23: Grey

2008-03-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this was inspired by true events. My wife discovered my first grey hair on January 13, 2008... I know the date because it was promptly plucked and placed in a ziplock bag for archival purposes. I think its up on our fridge now. Ew.

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, January 24, 2008.

Freelance #22: Atlas

2008-03-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

Man, this one's been stored way deep in my mind vault for years since my wife and I took a roadtrip from Texas to West Virginia. It's been so long, I had to doublecheck my old comics just to make sure I didn't already do a Road Atlas strip!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, January 17, 2008.

Freelance #21: Marrying Age

2008-02-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

My friends Will and Marcy actually did get engaged at the beginning of this year, so this one goes out to them. Sorry for missing posting last week... I've been swamped at work and went out of town last weekend, so my routine's a little off. Back on track this week though...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, January 10, 2008.

Freelance #20: Cards

2008-02-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

I've seriously thought about doing this. Not so much for 5 years in advance, but at least stocking up on cards for the year. Honestly, who would know?

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, January 3, 2008.

Freelance #19: Resolutions

2008-02-05T22:45:00.001-08:00

Well, that about wraps it up for the Christmas-themed comics... onward to New Year's comics!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, December 27, 2007.

Freelance #18: Super Santa

2008-01-29T22:45:00.001-08:00

Gonna try something a little different with the comic posting. Hopefully it's a little more legible this way. Oh! And its the last of the Christmas comics... on to New Year's Comics!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, December 20, 2007.

Freelance #17: Decorations

2008-01-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

Actually my favorite thing about this fad of inflatable Santas and Snowmen decorations is seeing them slumped over in a deflated blob during the daytime. Good times.

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, December 13, 2007.

Freelance #16: Christmas Lists

2008-01-15T21:51:00.001-08:00

Yeah, more belated Christmas comics. Pretend like its the beginning of December...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, December 6, 2007.

Freelance #15: O Christmas Tree

2008-01-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

We continue our theme of Christmas in January. Ironically, my wife is not nearly this enthusiastic about decorating the tree...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, November 29, 2007.

Freelance #14: Holiday Shopping

2008-01-01T22:21:00.001-08:00

Happy 2008 everyone! Sorry I missed posting a comic last week... I was all wrapped up in the holidays. Speaking of which, now's your chance to relive them all again as my batch of Christmas comics begin this week. Enjoy!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, November 22, 2007.

Freelance #13: Writer's Strike

2007-12-18T23:18:00.001-08:00

This comic goes out to all the ladies in the house. This should help restore the natural balance of things after my He-Man comic from a couple months back. And on a related note, after starting the DVD's of the first 3 seasons in the summer, tonight my wife and I are officially caught up on Grey's Anatomy. God Bless us, everyone!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, November 15, 2007.

Freelance #12: Gym

2007-12-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay getting this up folks! I'm having some internet issues as I make the transition over to a new laptop. Should have all the kinks worked out soon!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, November 8, 2007.

Freelance #11: Candy

2007-12-04T21:55:00.001-08:00

Yes, another Halloween comic in December. At this rate, you'll get to see my Christmas comics at the end of January. :)

Oh, and as a side note: I've gotten emails lately about where to find the "Fish" books I published. Unfortunately, my personal stash has run dry and the only place to get them is at The Texas A&M MSC Bookstore. I'm not sure if they still sell them online or not, but you can click that link and get contact info to find out. Happy hunting!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, November 1, 2007.

Freelance #10: Halloween

2007-11-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a Halloween comic in November. Sorry, one of the downsides of running the comics behind The Eagle. Just use your imagination... And sorry for missing last week. My wife and I were traveling and my internet access was spotty. Back on track now though!

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, October 25, 2007.

Freelance #9: Winter Clothes

2007-11-14T22:45:00.001-08:00

Oops! Sorry for the delayed post... just forgot to upload the comic yesterday! It's been crazy busy lately. Anyway, enjoy...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, October 18, 2007.

Freelance #8: Groceries

2007-11-06T22:15:00.001-08:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, October 11, 2007.

Freelance #7: YouTube

2007-10-30T22:31:00.001-07:00

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, October 4, 2007.

You know you've been out of the comic strip business for a few years when you're just now getting the opportunity to weigh in on the YouTube phenomenon. Seems to be a theme in this first batch of new comics... so much pop culture to catch up on, so little time.

And I guess the downside of running these comics a month behind when they're published in The Eagle is that my Halloween comic won't run till a month from now. So, to satisfy the lack of spookiness, here's a "Fish" blast from the past from 2003. Happy Halloween!

Freelance #6: Britney

2007-10-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

I wrote this over a month ago and lucky for me Britney is still a train wreck. Oh, and for the record, I didn't get a perfect math score on the S.A.T.. Don't believe everything you read. :)

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 27, 2007.

Freelance #5: MySpace

2007-10-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

It took me a couple years before I caved and got a MySpace page. I held off as long as I could because I really did find most of the pages tacky. But I'm glad I'm on it now, I've reconnected with people I haven't talked to in years. I'm pretty bad about keeping in touch with old friends and this is a nice way to stay in the loop. Although I could do without the spam...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 20, 2007.

Freelance #4: Diploma

2007-10-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

Hey look, Scoot's a little more grown-up! I wrestled with whether or not to bring everyone back from "Fish"... originally the plan was to leave Scoot out of "Freelance". But the straight-up honest truth is I just didn't feel like making up new characters, and I figured what the heck. :)

I'm also pretty sure you have to be male and a child of the 80's to get this joke. My wife has been my litmus test for the new Freelance comics, and I didn't even bother showing her this one. Made me giggle though...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 13, 2007.

Freelance #3: Alumni

2007-10-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a Texas A&M Former Student questionnaire we received this summer. Never did get around to filling that thing out...

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, September 6, 2007.

Freelance #2: Tisdale!

2007-09-25T22:07:00.001-07:00

So, you'll notice we've got color now. My editor at The Eagle told me that the Spotlight section frequently gets color pages, so all the comics from here on out will be in color. I've only actually seen the hard copy newspaper version of the first comic... so I have no idea which one's are actually printing in color. Oh well.

This comic also brings back the "Freelance" version of Tisdale. A little slimmed down, but not so much that I had to make a big deal out of it.

Originally published in The Bryan-College Station Eagle, August 30, 2007.

The new comic: "Freelance"

2007-09-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, it's been a while since I've updated this website. Since I've been "retired" from the comic strip business for about three years now, it hasn't seen much action. There's a lot to catch up on, so let's recap:

The short version: I'm doing a new comic strip once-a-week for The Bryan-College Station Eagle called "Freelance". It's an off-shoot of "Fish" but with Ryan, Flower, Scoot and Tisdale out of college and now living in the real world. Yay!

The long version: I started rdeluna.com back in college when I was doing a comic called "Fish" for my college newspaper, Texas A&M University's The Battalion. The comic ran for six years while I finished college and grad school, and ended up being the longest-running comic in the school's history. At the end of twelve semesters and over 1000 comics later, I self-published two compilation books: "Fish Out of Water" and "Gone Fishing", which are still available on-campus at the MSC Bookstore.

Since then: I finished my thesis, got my master's degree, moved to California, did freelance illustration work for about a year before starting full-time as a graphic artist for Free Range Studios where I've been for almost two years now, and I married my wife Sarah (on whom "Flower" is based) in September 2006.

Then in July 2007, I was contacted by The Bryan-College Station Eagle, the city newspaper where Texas A&M is located. They were re-vamping the weekend Spotlight section, an Entertainment insert that's published every Thursday, and were tossing around the idea of adding a comic strip done by an A&M alumnus. Thanks to the support of some die-hard fans and some friends at the newspaper, my name came up. They contacted me to see if I had any interest in resurrecting my comic.

I've missed doing a comic strip, I even attempted to launch "Freelance" as a web comic a couple years back when I moved out to California. But I quickly found out that it was impossible for me to try to do a daily comic and balance a regular job/personal life. I only did a couple dozen comics, and since then I haven't really had the motivation or audience to make time for it again.

So when The Eagle came along with their proposition, I jumped at the opportunity. Especially since the once-a-week schedule is something I could feasibly fit into my daily life. My main condition was that I didn't just want to pretend like "Fish" never ended. I wanted to make sure that chapter was closed and the characters were allowed evolve and deal with more grown-up, non-student problems.

So "Freelance" is a fresh start for some familiar faces (although they did get grown-up makeovers... Scoot even gets to grow up a little). I'm excited that I get to enter the realm of comic strips again, so I hope you'll check them out.

If you're in the Bryan-College Station area, you can pick up the Spotlight section in The Eagle every Thursday. Otherwise, I'll be running them here on the site (about a month behind) every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!

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